Women honored for contributions to the community

No red carpet softened Shelley R. Hinojosa's steps into the Corpus
Christi Country Club on Wednesday, but she still felt like a star.

"It almost feels like the Academy Awards for Hispanic women," said
Hinojosa, 55.

Hinojosa, who owns her own consulting business, Shelley &
Associates, was one of seven women honored by the Corpus Christi
Chapter of the Hispanic Women's Network of Texas.

The network, formed in 1987, held its eighth annual Las Estrellas
Awards ceremony Wednesday, celebrating women who have contributed to
their communities in seven categories - arts, business, community
involvement, education, family, health and law.

"It feels so good to be among these women," Hinojosa said. "All
these women are high-caliber - each is a legend in their own
right."

Each woman was nominated by a member of the group after a committee
received and reviewed nominations from the women's peers, said Sandy
Ortiz, chair of the local chapter.

"These are Hispanic women not only working to better our culture,
but the community," Ortiz said. "Hispanic women are a minority, and
it's important we're able to use the extraordinary talents we have and
use them to better the lives of future generations."

Award winner Olga Gonzales, 74, founder of the Concerned Parents for
Better Education Committee, an organization that works to improve
schools, said she felt privileged to be among so many younger women who
have achieved so much.

"I feel my work on this earth has been done - well, a great part of
it has," Gonzales said, citing her involvement with bond issues that
provided Corpus Christi with the Greenwood Library, Greenwood Swimming
Pool and the City-County Health Department. "It makes my heart glad
when I can see these younger women going out and trying to help the
community for the betterment of all."

In the audience, Michelle Rosas, 16, said she was in awe of what all
the award winners have accomplished.

"They give me more hope in life," Rosas said. "It makes me feel like
I'll be able to do something like that one day."